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潢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
潢huángpond, lakens, 14 strokes, radical 氵, rank #78073, Very Hard
潢huángdye paperunknown, 14 strokes, radical 氵, rank #78073, Very Hard
潢huángmount scrollunknown, 14 strokes, radical 氵, rank #78073, Very Hard
huáng(huang2) T2
  1. 1pond, lake
  2. 2dye paper
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

潢huáng(huang2)

The character 潢 (huáng) primarily refers to a pond or lake, often associated with calm waters. It can also denote the act of dyeing paper or the concept of mounting a scroll, particularly in artistic contexts. This term is less commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in literary or artistic discussions.

Strokes14Radical氵Frequency#78073DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, ponds and lakes often symbolize tranquility and reflection, making them popular subjects in poetry and painting. The concept of dyeing paper is also tied to traditional Chinese art practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine a serene pond (the meaning of 潢) where a painter is dyeing paper (one of its uses). The flowing water (the radical 水) visually represents the calmness of the pond, while the character's shape resembles a scroll unfurling over the water's surface.

Meanings of 潢

huáng(huang2)
1pond, lake
2dye paper
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 潢

潢Simplified
14Strokes
氵Radical
地名míngcíplace name (p.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 潢

JasonAmy

Podcast: 潢

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 潢

Usage Notes

Learners should be cautious with the pronunciation, ensuring they use the correct tone (second tone). This word is more formal and may not be appropriate in casual speech. Common collocations include '潢水' (lake water) and '潢塘' (pond).

HSK Study Tips

Although 潢 is not listed in the HSK vocabulary, it is related to HSK Level 4 terms that describe natural bodies of water. Students should focus on the context in which it might be used within more advanced reading materials, particularly in literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 潢 (huáng) with other similar characters like 汪 (wāng), which also refers to water but has different nuances. For example, saying '我喜欢潢水' (I like huáng water) is incorrect; instead, one should say '我喜欢湖水' (I like lake water).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 潢

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Etymology of 潢

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 黄 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)黄
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 潢

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 黄 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half黄 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 潢? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 潢?

Decomposition of 潢

IDS Structure⿰氵黄
潢Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
黄Huang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 潢?

How to say pond, lake in Chinese

“pond, lake” in Chinese is潢huáng

The character 潢 (huáng) primarily refers to a pond or lake, often associated with calm waters. It can also denote the act of dyeing paper or the concept of mounting a scroll, particularly in artistic contexts. This term is less commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in literary or artistic discussions.

When to use 潢

Learners should be cautious with the pronunciation, ensuring they use the correct tone (second tone). This word is more formal and may not be appropriate in casual speech. Common collocations include '潢水' (lake water) and '潢塘' (pond).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 潢 (huáng) with other similar characters like 汪 (wāng), which also refers to water but has different nuances. For example, saying '我喜欢潢水' (I like huáng water) is incorrect; instead, one should say '我喜欢湖水' (I like lake water).

Write 潢

潢

Practice writing 潢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 潢

Words Containing This Character4
装潢to dress裝潢
潢huánglake
潢川Huangchuan county in Xinyang 信陽|信阳, Henan
潢川县Huangchuan county in Xinyang 信陽|信阳, Henan潢川縣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 装潢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 潢

It is pronounced as huáng with a rising tone.

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Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.